On behalf of Emmaus Road Ministries, we wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a fruitful upcoming New Year!

As we anticipate Christmas in just a few days, our thoughts go to families gathering in celebration to exchange presents, share a meal and enjoy each other’s company. We also think of the birth of Christ, the manger scene, the wise men, beautiful carols and eggnog. We are often overcome with feelings of love for one another and hope comes to life once again as we think about the reality of Christ coming to this earth to be in relationship with us.

With the busyness of this season, wrapping presents, baking cookies and running out to get last minute gifts, we can become consumed with the tasks and forget to make room for the beauty of the season, the message of love found wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.

I woke up this morning feeling an emptiness in my heart and the silence was deafening. I too was caught up in my To-Do list and preparation before my kids arrived from out of town. I thought, “God, where are you?” I often preach the gospel to myself reminding my heart the truth that there is no space between Jesus and I but the emptiness that I was feeling was bumping up against this. It reminded me of Thomas, a disciple of Jesus who had to see before he would believe even though he was with Jesus and walked and talked with him, did life with him. I made a little declaration and said, “Jesus, by faith, I believe that you are with me, that there really is no space between us.” Immediately it felt as though Jesus was hugging me, I felt enveloped in His love and a deep shift was taking place in my heart. I stayed in that moment and let myself be held by His love, letting go of things I was holding onto, breaking off lies. His love was recentering me. I felt free and whole. Even at this writing, I can still sense Him hugging me.

That’s the whole point of Jesus coming, his birth, death and resurrection so that we could be one with Him. Ephesians 1:4 beautifully magnifies this truth: “And he chose us to be his very own, joining us to himself even before he laid the foundation of the universe! Because of his great love, he ordained (marked us with his love) us, so that we would be seen as holy in his eyes with an unstained innocence.”

Our prayer is that you feel held by love this Christmas season.

Take a moment and stop what you are doing, and by faith declare that there is no space between you and Jesus. Let Him hold you with His love. Madame Jeanne Guyon, a French mystic from the 1600s pens it this way: “How deep is God’s love! He gives Himself to those who have made a place for Him. He becomes their end, their fullness, their everything.”

Merry Christmas!!

Emmaus Road Ministries